Netanyahu: Israel is not a country of all its citizens

Occupied Palestine (QNN)- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel “is not a country of all its citizens,” responding to criticism from an Israeli actress who said the government treats Arabs like they are less worthy.

Netanyahu went on to say all citizens, including Arabs, had equal rights, but he referred to a deeply controversial law passed last year declaring Israel the nation state of the Jewish people.

“First of all,an important correction: Israel is not a country of all its citizens,” Netanyahu wrote in a message to actress Rotem Sela. “According to the Nation-State Law that we passed, Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish nation – and its alone. As you wrote, there is no problem with Arab citizens – they have equal rights like everybody and the Likud government has invested in the Arab sector more than any other government”, he added.

As the comments caused waves worldwide, Netanyahu again spoke of the issue at the start of a cabinet meeting, describing Israel as a “Jewish, democratic state” with equal rights, but “the nation state not of all its citizens but only of the Jewish people”.

Netanyahu along with previous Israeli leaders are accused of following a discrimination policy, which depends on providing less rights to Palestinians and Africans. That is the reason why candidates in Israeli elections usually use racist statements against Palestinians to win voters.